AFDC 21 (395) CD 3  
ICS 67.080.20  
0 
  
 
 
DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
Dried cassava pellets — Specification  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 AFDC 21 (395) CD 3  
ICS 67.080.20  
1 
 0. Foreword  
0.1 Dried cassava pellets are locally produced and some is imported. The demand for these products is 
increasing since p elletizing of cassava chips  and/or flour  results into volume reduction by 25 -40% to 
produce a uniform product thus facilitate bulk handling during transportation, loading and reloading and t o 
eliminate the dustiness of the product. The demand for this prod uct is increasing thus the need to ensure 
the safety and quality of dried cassava pellets produced and / or marketed in Tanzania.  
 
0.2 In reporting the result of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard, if the final value 
observed or calcu lated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with TZS 4 (See clause 2).  
 
1 Scope  
 
This Tanzania standard  prescribes  requirements , methods of sampling and test ing for dried cassava 
pellets.  
 
 
2 Normative references  
 
The following referenced d ocuments are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated 
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced 
document (including any amendments) applies.  
 
TZS 4, Rounding off numerical values  
TZS 109, Food Processing units - Code of h ygiene  
TZS 122 -1:2018/ISO 6579 -1: 2017 - Microbiology of the food chain — Horizontal method for the 
detection, enumeration and serotyping of Salmonella - Part 1: Detection of Salmonella spp  
 
TZS 465: 2010 (3rd  Ed), Dried cassava chips — Specification  
 
TZS 472: 2010 (3rd Ed), Cassava and cassava products — Determination of total cyan ogen’s — 
Enzymatic assay method  
 
TZS 538:2015 (EAS 38:2014) - Labelling of pre -packaged foods — General requirements  
 
TZS 731: 2018 / ISO 7251: 2006 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs -  Horizontal method for 
the detection and enumeration of presumptive Escherichia coli - Most probable number technique  
 
TZS 961:2017 (1st Ed), Starch – Determination of moist ure content – Oven -drying method  
 
TZS 963 (Part 1):2017 (1st Ed), Starch and derived products – Heavy metals content – Part 1 – 
Determination of arsenic content by atomic absorption spectrometry  
 
 
TZS 963 (Part 2):2017 (1st Ed), Starch and derived products – Heavy metals co ntent – Part 2 – 
Determination of mercury content by atomic absorption spectrometry  
 AFDC 21 (395) CD 3  
ICS 67.080.20  
2 
 TZS 963 (Part 3):2017 (1st Ed), Starch and derived products – Heavy metals content – Part 3 – 
Determination of lead content by atomic absorption spectrometry w ith electro -thermal atomization  
 
TZS 963 (Part 4):2017 (1st Ed), Starch and derived products – Heavy metals content – Part 4 – 
Determination of cadmium content by atomic absorption spectrometry with electro \-thermal atomization   
 
TZS1276: 2010 (1st Ed), Fresh sweet ca ssava — Specification  
 
TZS 2044:2017/ISO 5985:2002 Animal feeding stuffs – Determination of ash insoluble in hydrochloric  
TZS 2426 -1: 2020/ ISO 21527 -1: 2008 - Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs - Horizontal 
method for the enumeration of yeasts  and moulds - Part 1: Colony count technique in products with water 
activity greater than 0.95  
 
ISO 10520 , Native starch  ─ Determination of starch content  ─ Ewers polarimetric method  
 
 
3 Terms and definitions  
 
For the purpose of this standard, the followin g term s and definition s shall apply.  
 
3.1  
dried cassava pellets  
dried and hardened cylindrical particulate material produced through conventional chipping/ grating, 
drying, milling and p elletization into a uniform appearance and texture  
 
3.2  
foreign matt er 
inorganic matter such as sand, glass, metal, stones, clay , mud and organic matter such as chaff, straw, 
weed seeds and insects or insects fragments, rodent hairs  
 
3.3  
food grade material  
material that will not transfer non -food chemicals into the food and contains no chemicals which would be 
hazardous to human health  
 
 
4 Requirements  
 
4.1 General requirements  
 
4.1.1 Cassava  pellets  shall be produced from cassava chips  and /or flour complying t o TZS 465  and TZS 
466, respectively.  
 
4.1.2 Dried  cassava pel lets shall be  
a) uniformly light brown in colour,  
b) free from objectionable odour with no sign of deterioration after 90 days of storage  
c) tasteless,  
d) free of off flavours and odours;  
e) practically free from any living insects and foreign matter  
 
4.2 Specific  requi rements  
 
Dried cassava pellets shall conform to the compositional quality requirements shown in Table 1.  AFDC 21 (395) CD 3  
ICS 67.080.20  
3 
  
Table 1 — Compositional Quality requirements   
Analytical characteristic  Requirement  Method of test  
   
Potential c yanide , mg/kg, max.  10 TZS 472  
   
Starch content, %, by mass, min.  60 ISO 10520  
   
Moisture, % by mass, max  14 TZS 961  
   
Crude f ibre, % by mass on dry weight basis,  max 5 ISO 5498  
   
   
Acid insoluble ash, % by mass, max.  0.15 TZS 2044  
   
 
 
 
5 Contaminants  
 
5.1 Other contaminan ts 
Dried cassava pellets shall comply with the maximum levels of the Codex General Standard for 
Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed (CODEX STAN 193).  
 
5.2 Pesticide residues  
 
Dried cassava pellets shall conform to maximum residue limits for pesticide residues established by the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission for this commodity.  
 
 
6 Hygiene  
 
Dried cassava pellets shall be prepared and handled in a hygienic manner in accordance  with TZS 102  
and shall conform to microbiological limits specified in Table 2 .  
 
 
Table 2 — Microbiological limits for dried cassava pellets  
 
Micro -organisms  Maximum limit  Method of Test  
Escherichia coli,  cfu/g,  Absent  TZS 731  
Salmonella , per 25g Absent   TZS 122  
Yeast a nd mould, cfu /g, max.  103 TZS 2426 -1 
 
 
  
 
7 Sampling and t est AFDC 21 (395) CD 3  
ICS 67.080.20  
4 
 7.1 Sampling  
Sampling of dried cassava pellets shall be done according to ISO 24333.  
 
7.2 Test  
Testing of dried cassava pellets shall be done according to test methods prescribed in Table 1 and 2 of 
this standard.  
 
 
8   Weights and Measures  
 
Dried cas sava pellets shall be packaged in accordance with Weights and Measures requirements of the 
destination country.  
 
 
9 Pack ing, marking and labelling  
 
9.1 Pack ing 
Dried cassava pellets shall be pack ed in suitable food grade materials,  
9.2 Marking and labelli ng  
 
In addition to the requirements of TZS 538 ; the following labeling requirements shall apply and shall be 
legibly and indelibly marked  
 
a) the common name of the food product  to be declared on the label shall be ‘Dried cassava pellets';  
 
b) the net weight th e name and  physical address of the manufacturer / distributor;  
 
c) the country of origin;  
 
d) batch number ; 
 
e) date of manufacture and best before date  
 
f) the statement `Human Fo od' shall appear on the package  
 
g) storage conditions as ‘store in a cool dry place away f rom contaminants’  
 
h) instructi ons on disposal of used package  
 
i) The language on the label shall be Swahili  and/or English”. Another language may be used 
depending on the designated market.  
 
9.3 The container may also be marked with TBS Quality Mark.  
 
NOTE: Th e TBS Standards Mark of Quality may be used by the manufacturers only under license  from 
TBS. Particulars of conditions under which the license  are g ranted may be obtained from TBS